Republicans in the Iowa House have sent the governor a bill that will increase general state aid to public schools by 40-million dollars for the next academic year. Republican Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, is a retired school teacher. Moore says “In discussion with my Superintendents, their major concern was to get this done in 30-days. We’re doing that. Yes, they would like to have more than $40-million, but they understand the important of living within their budgets, and they understand we must also.”

Representative Walt Rogers, a Republican from Waterloo, is chairman of the House Education Committee. “Today’s schools are doing so much more than just teaching and we must give them the tools to do that,” Rogers says. “Does that always involve more money? No, it doesn’t.” Representative Timi Brown-Powers, a Democrat from Waterloo, says legislators can do better than a 73-dollar-per-student increase.

Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City, says schools need far more than Republicans are offering. Representative Rogers says Republican lawmakers are responding to the dilemma of limited state tax collections. “This plan involves funding education appropriately in the context of our overall budget and our overall state budget needs,” Rogers says.

Representative Mary Mascher, a Democrat from Iowa City, says this level of state aid will force more school consolidations.  “If the Republicans wanted to just close rural schools, this is the way to go about it,” Mascher said. “You starve ’em to death.”

Representative Rogers says the state will send more than three-point-two BILLION dollars to Iowa’s public school districts next year. “Funding education is a top priority of what we do,” Rogers says. “K-12 education gets 43 perent of our budget.” About a month ago, Iowa’s Republican governor recommended a TWO percent state spending boost for schools in EACH of the next two years.

On Monday, Governor Branstad indicated he will accept the ONE-year, roughly ONE percent increase Republican legislators have agreed upon.

(Radio Iowa)